And we now own a mini van

We have friends who have had multiple kids and both parents had sedans. So we figured that would work for us well. One thing we did not consider though, was both our height and our kids' height. So combine the fact that our seats need to be all the way back, Tripp has long legs, and my car is just not a big car, we had some serious space issues. So we decided to go on the car hunt. We were both first thinking SUV, but then practicality took over and the mini van won out. I found a great deal on a used Honda Odyssey on line and we went one day to check it out. I loved it, we took it to our mechanic to check it out and after he said it looked great, we decided to go for it. And after owning it for about 48 hours, I couldn't love it more. We drove around today with three adults and two kids and could not have been more comfortable (except for all the crying by a small baby)!

6 Week Old Lily

Little Lilypie (as I sometimes call her) is now a little over six weeks old. Time really does fly! While it is definitely easier in that we know what to expect with her and that it won't always be like this, that sometimes makes it harder cause I expect her to act older than she really is (like sleep through the night). She has had some rough days of late, well rough in that she just really likes to cry. The biggest help during those "witching hours" is the sling. I am not much of a baby wearing person, but I am not sure where we would be without it. It is great to be able to have two hands free and Lily likes to be secure and tight. In fact, she really likes it so much that she is usually swaddled up and then tight in the sling. But hey, whatever makes her happy makes me happy! I think we are getting over the 6 week hump of increased fussiness. I remember 8 weeks being a huge turning point for Tripp, so I am hoping that his little sister follows in those footsteps. Speaking of big brother, Tripp is a great big brother. He is loves his sister a lot, offers to rock her when she crying, brings her pacifier when she needs it, and even cleans spit up off her face when I do not notice it (which is often)! I am so thankful he does not seem to be phased by her loud and sometimes excessive crying. I know that this transition has been big for him, and sometimes he can get quite emotional, whiny, and just needing attention (which I totally understand!), but through it all, he sure has been sweet to his sister.

We had to get an ultrasound for her hips since she was breech for so long. Apparently in breech babies, hip problems can develop. During the ultrasound, they discovered loose ligaments and both her hips came out of joint just under the pressure of the doctor doing the ultrasound on them. They can tighten naturally on their own, so we will pray for that. She gets another ultrasound in 4 weeks to check on the progress, and we will talk with the doctor at her 2 month check up to see what needs to happen!

It is definitely a challenge to have two kids- this past week Tripp had the stomach flu again and so we were taking turns cleaning up throw up and calming a crying baby. The best was one night when Tripp got sick twice so between the two of them, we were almost up all night! But God continues to sustain us and even give us the ability to laugh at it all in the midst of the craziness. I love these two little ones dearly and really wouldn't want it any other way (except to sleep more)!

Aunt WInsor came to town

We have been blessed by family visits since Lily has been born. Most recently it was Nelson's sister Winsor. She left her two precious boys at home and came to visit for a long weekend. It was such a help to have more meals made, have someone to watch Lily so we could run errands, go to church and to play with Tripp.

Thanks Winsor for coming, we are so glad you did!!

One Month Old

Lily turned a month old on Tuesday, it is hard to believe! Time is flying by. She is doing well, adjusting to life outside the womb. The hardest thing for me is definitely the lack of sleep, but I know it will not be forever. It is also hard to sometimes manage two kids, like when Tripp needs to be disciplined and Lily needs to be fed at the same time. I am learning how to handle situations like that. But we like being a family of four, now we just need a car that is big enough :)

Lily's stats (apparently she likes to eat):

Length: 23 1/8 inches (100th percentile)

Weight: 11 lbs 2.4 oucnes (90th percentile)

and I don't remember her head measurement but it was somewhere in the 70th percentile.

Way to go little girl! We are so glad you are here!

Nana came to town!

Nelson's mom gave us probably one of the best gifts parents of a newborn could ask for- her help. It was such an incredible gift. Tripp and Lily loved having her here, but I think Nelson and I loved it the most. Good thing Winsor will be here in just over 24 hours! We can't wait!!

Breakfast in Bethlehem

Nelson's mom has been here since Wednesday and it is such a wonderful blessing. I feel so rested, well fed and just all taken care of. We have been able to do some fun things and have had some great time just hanging out at home. Nelson and I had a date night last night where we enjoyed some great dessert at Craving's and Lily has been taking a bottle like a champ. So as a result, I have gotten to have some much needed time away from home. Tripp, Nana and I went this morning to Breakfast in Bethlehem, an event at Tripp's "school" (mom's day out) which included breakfast, animals from the nativity, crafts, a gift shop and a few other things. The three of us enjoyed a tasty breakfast and check out the animals. It was a great little outing and a fun morning for us.

O Christmas Tree!

In an effort to make sure our Christmas is as normal as possible this year, we decided we needed to get right on our Christmas decorations and tree. Last weekend, we got right on getting our Christmas stuff up and we headed out to a local lot to get our tree. Nelson and Tripp worked together to get it in the house and in the stand and then we all decorated it.

Nelson and Tripp also had gone earlier in the day to pick out a new ornament for Tripp for the year and also one for Lily. They came home with some sweet little ornaments to add to our collection. Now all we need is some presents to put under the tree!

I think he wants someone to read to him...

Tripp has always loved reading but lately can not get enough of it. And of course, mostly can't get enough of the same 5 or so books. It always makes me laugh when he is playing by himself and I hear random phrases from books: "Step on the gas, Bunny Rabbit!" "Break down that door Dudley, shouted Sam!" "Catch that thief, shouted Dudley" (can you tell what author we read a lot around here?). I guess I should not have been too surprised then the other day when I found him laying out a bunch of books for us to read, all turned to the first page. Thankfully, we had the time to read them all!

Happy Birthday Nelson!

I guess Thanksgiving yesterday was important and all, but not nearly as exciting as celebrating Nelson's birthday today! Tripp and I did lots of present wrapping together and I had to be really careful about what I told him each thing was because he has a way of letting people know what is in each package before they have a chance to open it. So thankfully he did not ruin any surprises for Nelson. He was quite the helper when it came to opening presents and by the end, I think Tripp was doing more opening than Nelson was.

We enjoyed some quality time together as a family and had some pumpkin cheesecake to top it all off. It was a great day (well at least for me it was, and I am pretty sure Nelson would say the same thing)!

Cooking Time

One of the hardest things for me in the transition from one to two has been my inability to spend as much time with Tripp as we used to. I miss him! But after he got some cool cooking utensils from Aunt Steph and Uncle James we had to get back in the kitchen to do some cooking together. Nelson's birthday was the perfect excuse! Last night we started the overnight French toast casserole and then whipped up a pumpkin cheesecake. Then this morning we putting the caramel-pecan topping on the French toast and let it cook away. Nelson claims this is his new favorite breakfast item, so I would say it was a hit!

Two Weeks

Two weeks have gone by, and in some ways it feels like forever and that Lily has always been a part of this family and in other ways, the time has flown by and I can't believe that two weeks ago today I was giving birth!! It's been a good week- we took Tripp to school and managed to get there mostly on time, we've had some good naps and good awake time. She loves to eat, a lot and often and when I feel like a human 24-7 diner, I have to remind myself that it won't always be like this. We went to the doctor this week for a weight check, and apparently we both win some kind of award because she gained a pound in a week (I think average is 4-8 ounces)! She left the hospital at 8 lbs 15 ozs and when we went to the doctor a week later, she was 9lbs 15 ozs. I am quite proud of ourselves, if I do say so myself. Now if only having a big baby would mean long stretches of sleeping at night....I have yet to experience that pleasure.

James and Steph came this weekend to meet their little niece, and we had a great time. They cooked some delicious food, provided great entertainment for Tripp and helped out in other ways around the house (like raking leaves and re-hanging a curtain I accidentally pulled from the wall). We were sad they had to go this morning but looking forward to them being back in just about 5 weeks for Christmas. It really does make such a difference to have people visit and help out. It is hard sometimes not to get totally overwhelmed by the day to day of taking care of a baby and a toddler and feeling like you do not have the time or energy to do anything else. So having some good company, good food, and extra laughter does a lot to make your soul feel refreshed!!

Lily also got to meet her great grandfather, and she was the youngest baby he has ever held (including his own kids)! Her middle name is his last name, and both my grandmother and grandfather Green were (and still are) a big part of my life. So while I wish my grandmom could have held her too, it means a lot that he got to meet her and spend some good time together.

I find myself struggling not to wish away this time. It is incredibly nice knowing that there is a time coming when I will sleep again, when I won't always be the only one who can feed her, when I will do my hair again, not smell like milk all the time, and when all the diapering, burping, crying will turn to more playing, laughing, and smiling. But I find myself sometimes focusing more on that than on enjoying these moments together now. I know I will never get them back so I want to try to cherish them, but it is hard for me to do that when this isn't exactly my favorite phase in life. But I just continue to pray that God will give me the strength and grace I need for each day and that I can enjoy sweet time with both my kids through this busy phase of life!

Tripp continues to love his little sister and is quite in tune to her. Last night we were eating dinner, all 7 of us around the table. Everyone was talking and having a good time and it was hard to hear anything else. But all of a sudden Tripp piped up, "Baby Lily's crying, someone better go get her." I had not heard anything at all but sure enough, after a few seconds, I heard her cry and went to get her. He likes to make sure we are on top of things and taking good care of his little sister. He loves to give her kisses and gentle pats on the head. The other day, right at nap time when I was reading to Tripp, Lily was laying on the ground next to us. She started getting a little fussy and he just reached out and held her hand. She was completely content and quiet after that. It was such a sweet moment between the two of them!

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and Nelson's birthday this week! I am also very happy he only has a three day work week!

That's all for now!

One Week Old Edit!!

I forgot one very important detail of my last post - the epidural!! I got one, it was great and made the waiting and pushing time no problem!

Thanks Sarah Jo for mentioning that very important part!!!

One Week Old!

I figure since our little girl is already a week old, I should probably dedicate a post just to her! Lily Green came to us (well we made her come to us) on Sunday, November 6th at 2:34 p.m. I was due on the 5th and since the next day my doctor was on call was the 6th, we decided that I should be induced then if she hadn't come already.

I sure am glad considering she was a whopping 9 pounds 7 ounces! She almost set the record for the biggest baby in the fam, but her aunt Ginny still holds that record at 9 lbs 9ozs.

The induction went pretty much as smoothly as possible- as soon as I started getting pitocin, I started having really regular, consistent contractions. So then we just waited and by the early afternoon, it was time to push. She came out with about two pushes and was ready to meet the world! She did have the cord around her neck but apparently that was no big deal and did not make any difference. Or at least the doctor made it seem that way, which is probably in his job description somewhere! I got to hold her right away which was awesome- with Tripp, he had to be suctioned out and examined by the NICU nurses so I did not get to hold him for a while. I will definitely not forget that experience with Lily.

We had some great days in the hospital while Tripp was taken care of by both sets of grandparents. He has loved her since the day she was born, and that has been a huge blessing.

I think the one thing he has shared the most with her is all his germs but I figure that is just the way it will be for the whole winter, so while I am a little bit of a stickler when it comes to things like the stomach flu or fevers, I think I have to give up most control of colds, stuffy noses, coughs, etc. It has been quite an adjustment to get used to not having much sleep but then having to take care of a toddler at the same time, but thankfully we have my family in town, my brother and sister-in-law and then Nelson's mom and sister coming for visits and then Tripp is going to keep going with my mom one morning a week and then to mom's day out two mornings a week, which should hopefully give me some time to rest (or clean or do laundry. Just kidding, that was a joke. I totally understand the importance of sleep)!! Well, speaking of sleep, I am going to go do that now! We love you little (or not so little) Lily and are so glad you are here as a part of our family!

Incredibly Blessed

I have been a bit overwhelmed the past few days, not by the fact that we have a newborn in the house, but by God's faithfulness and blessings that he has caused me to see (since I tend to get wrapped up in things about myself and forget about the fact that everything in my life is because of Him). The list could be really long but I will limit myself to the most prominent things. First, a husband who tirelessly serves his family, even when he is tired, sick and needing a break. He has done countless loads of laundry (more than normal with a newborn since we also have a toddler who has thrown up everywhere a few times in the past few days), washed many dishes, ran many errands, taken the aforementioned toddler and his baby sister to doctors appointments (because that little boy burned his hand just a few days before I gave birth) and more. He does it all without one complaint- he just keeps caring for and loving us. I have parents who are willing to take care of me and their brand new (and sometimes crying) granddaughter at the "Kling Hotel" (their house) because we need to be quarantined while the stomach bug runs its way through our family. I have in-laws who love and care about us enough to drive 20 hours over the course of 48 hours to see their new granddaughter and welcome her into the world (and also bring their grandson probably the best present he has ever gotten). I have siblings (plural cause I am including my siblings-in-law) who love us and are faithful to pray for us during these demanding times. We have friends and a church family who have provided meals, prayers, emails, visits and wonderful pictures of our baby girl for us. I have a son who despite his sicknesses over the course of the week, loves his sister deeply and wants to do all he can to care for her. And of course, we have this new life in our family- little Lily Green who is the perfect addition to family. And yes it is crazy, tiring and sometimes totally overwhelming, I have been able to see God's blessings to us through all of this. And I am incredibly thankful.

T-10 days

So there are about 10 days till this baby's due date. Well, technically 11 but since today is almost over, I am saying 10. I am definitely feeling a little (ok- a lot) overwhelmed when it comes to handing off my job responsibilities, but other than that, I think we are ready. Maybe I should define "ready." We have a place for her to sleep with clean sheets. That's all. Oh wait, we thankfully have some clothes people got us. Ok, now that's all. But I am pretty sure that means we are ready. I mean, that is what it is supposed to be like for a second child right? Her clothes are currently in Nelson's dresser,

I did get the car seat out finally (although someone thinks it is a big toy)

and we found some old pacifiers that I made sure to clip on with her brother's old paci clip.

Meanwhile, Tripp's love of little guys has continued to blossom and now he has a "suitcase" to keep them contained (although I am not sure what will happened when a little baby goes through the "let's put every small thing in our mouths" phase).

and I have been doing some baking. Thankfully, Nelson found an awesome recipe for pumpkin pie in my America's Test Kitchen cookbook and it resulted in one of the best pumpkin pies ever.

Now, I don't exactly have the energy to type it all up here, so if you want the recipe for the best pumpkin ever, you probably need to go check the cookbook out from the library or just buy it because you will have some of the best recipes to everything imaginable.

And that's about all that we have been up to, except waiting for this little girl to join the family! and we will be sure to keep everyone updated!

A Glimpse into Tripp's mind

Sometimes he has on his cranky pants, sometimes his whiny pants, but today it was the sassy pants-

Me: "What did you do today buddy?"

Tripp: "Daddy already told you while we were in the car."

Me: "What did you have for lunch today?"

Tripp: "You already know because you told Margaret Lee what I should have. Except I did not want that jambalaya, I just wanted my banana."

Well, ok then. And how do you keep a straight face during those kinds of responses??

Quotables

A few more quotables

Tonight's bedtime stall tactic: "Something's wrong with me. I need some water, a bath, and some medicine to feel me better."

Me: Who was at school with you today?
Tripp: Gaby, Owen, Cranky, Annaliese...

Me: How was your day at school today?
Tripp: Not good.
Me: Oh no, why?
Tripp: Cause I didn't hit anyone, I was just friendly and kind.

Grandparents

While I wish it was possible for us to live close to both sets of grandparents, for now I hope I never take it for granted that we at least live close to two of the four. Days like this last Sunday happened to be pretty rough for me (pregnancy related sickness again...) so it is an incredible help to have parents who love to be with Tripp and even like having him spend the night!! My dad came up with the idea of going paddleboating in Forest Park and Tripp had an awesome time. I think he especially liked the fact that he just got to ride and his Nonny and Papa did all the work. Nelson and I got to enjoy a night of rest (ok, we really ran like 6 errands but it is amazing how those can even be restful when you have time to talk and don't have to worry about dinner time or bedtime). Grandparents are definitely a blessing!!

Little Phrases

For a kid who talks to us in full paragraphs, I cherish the little things that Tripp still says wrong. So since I am almost guaranteed to forget them all by tomorrow, I need to write a few down.

When referring to something that happened in the past:
"Did we do that last days?"

When wanting a piece of candy:
"Can I have a lolli-olli-olli-pop?"

When referring to things that fly in the sky with rotors:
"Did you see that alfifocter?"

When wanting to know how something works/how to do something:
"How it goes Mom?"

When wanting a certain oat based dish for breakfast:
"Can we have some oat-me-meal?"

When singing certain kid songs:
"I will make you fishers of mip"
"I've got keys like a river"
"There's a farmer up above, looking down in love"

That's all I can think of for now, I am sure I will come up with a lot more over the next couple of days!

Beauty in the eye of the beholder

Tripp and my mom went to the pumpkin patch yesterday and apparently, after much deliberation, Tripp picked out these two pumpkins. I am pretty sure one of them is one of the ugliest pumpkins I've seen (the one on the left, in case you were confused).

But he thinks the bumps are so cool and it was a simple yet obvious reminder that everyone and everything is special the way that God created it. And of course, a reminder that beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder!

Football Players

We have a quasi-tradition of getting donuts on Sunday morning. We used to go to the "Donut Shop" (aka Ray's Donuts) but after going to Schnucks one morning when Ray's was closed, we all had to admit that we liked the Schnucks' donuts better. So ever since, we have been going there and have bonded quite a lot with the Sunday morning donut crowd (apparently other people have figured out where the tastier donuts are as well). Well, this morning, Tripp was so excited to see a "great big football player" (blow up figure) inside Schnucks! So excited in fact, that the "pay lady" (cashier) sensed his excitement and thought it would be great if he got his picture taken in front of it. So at 7 o'clock on a Sunday morning, we were the strange people in our pajamas taking pictures inside a grocery store in front of the blow up football player.

The "Festibal"

We had a "festibal" (or festival for those of us that can pronounce both "v" and "b") this weekend in our neighborhood and it was a lot of fun. Free rides, delicious funnel cakes, and the highlight- a fire truck and ambulance parked there at all times for all to see, climb on, talk about, etc. We even entered the raffle for dinner at the fire station, prepared by the fire fighters. I can only hope we would be so lucky as to win. We talked with our favorite fire fighter to see what he could do as far as pulling some strings and helping us win. So we will see.

Tripp loved the parade (and I loved the fact that it came down the street right behind our house so we didn't have to go far at all to see it). He was extra excited to see the bands and the "bandleaders" since we had just recently got Curious George and the Parade from the library. The bandleader is very important in that book.

He also really loved the car ride at the festival. So he rode it quite a few times with some different friends on different occasions.

(please notice the fire gear showing up in this picture- Tripp was very excited to show it off to the firemen during one of our visits to the fire trucks)

And as always, it is always so fun to see your kid enjoy fun things in life. There are not many other feelings that compare to that!